devolver
/debolˈbeɾ/
The English phrase 'repay' is translated into Spanish as devolver.
devolver is used to describe giving back something that was borrowed or owed, such as money or a favor. To specifically mean 'repay the money' as opposed to a favor, you can use the phrase devolver el dinero. Additionally, devolución can mean 'return' and reembolso can mean 'refund'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are repaying a person, you must use an indirect object pronoun to indicate the recipient. For example, use te to mean 'to you' (informal) or le to mean 'to him', 'to her' or 'to you' (formal), as seen in the form devolverle.
How do you pronounce it?
/debolˈbeɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using pagar when you mean 'repay'. While pagar means 'to pay', it refers to the act of paying a bill, whereas devolver refers to returning something that was previously held or owed.
Did you know?
- While devolver means 'to repay', using it to describe returning a personal favor can sometimes feel too transactional in certain Spanish-speaking cultures, as if the social bond is being erased by a debt.
- The word devolver shares an unexpected ancestor with the English word 'devolve', as both come from the Latin 'devolvere', meaning 'to roll down'.
- In some contexts, if you say you want to devolver a person, you are not talking about repaying them, but rather returning them to a previous state or location.
Examples in context
- Ojalá pudiera devolverte el favor que me hiciste.I only wish there was some way I could repay you.This sentence uses devolver to express the wish to repay a favor.Tatoeba #2060140 by lazarus1907, translation #1956101 by CK
- ¿Cómo podré devolverte el favor?How can I ever repay you?This sentence uses devolver to ask how to repay a favor.Tatoeba #6324854 by mervert1, translation #1907910 by Spamster
- ¿Cómo podré devolverle el favor a mi madre?How can I ever repay my mother?This sentence uses devolver to ask how to repay a mother.Tatoeba #6367116 by mervert1, translation #6324814 by mervert1
- Voy a reembolsarte el dinero que te prestéI'm going to repay you the money I lent you.
- La empresa se comprometió a restituir el dinero a sus inversoresThe company committed to repaying the money to its investors.
- Te voy a pagar lo que me prestaste la próxima semanaI'm going to repay you what you lent me next week.
- No te preocupes, te voy a devolver el favor cuando lo necesitesDon't worry, I'll repay the favor when you need it.
- Le voy a reembolsar el dineroI'm going to repay him/her the money.
- Voy a hacer el pago correspondienteI will make the corresponding repayment.
Example conversation
Lucía is paying back a small loan to Alejandro.
- LucíaAlejandro, quiero devolverte el dinero que me prestaste.Alejandro, I want to repay the money you lent me.
- AlejandroNo hay prisa, Lucía, puedes hacerlo después.There is no rush, Lucía, you can do it later.
- LucíaPrefiero devolverlo ahora para no olvidarlo.I prefer to repay it now so I don't forget.
- AlejandroEstá bien, muchas gracias.That is fine, thank you very much.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry devolver, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries devolver, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
